C/River Suspends Provost Over Alleged Maladministration

By Musa Kutama, Calabar

The eighth Governing Council of the Federal College of Education, Obudu, Cross River State, has suspended its Provost, Dr. Richard Ugbaha Utubaku, over allegations of maladministration and gross misconduct.

The suspension was announced in a letter signed by the Registrar and Secretary of Council, Evans Iyenya, with reference number FCE/OB/REG/CT-A/Vol.II/273, titled “LETTER OF SUSPENSION AND GENERAL INEFFICIENCY.”

According to the letter made available to media representatives in Calabar Tuesday, the decision was reached following a series of petitions against the Provost from the Deans of Schools, and the three major staff unions of the College — Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN), and the Non-Academic Staff Union as well as the Director of Procurement.

The petitions accused Dr. Utubaku of auctioning the college’s unserviceable cars and other vehicles to cronies and family members without recourse to due process.

The action, according to the letter, violated the White Paper of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the report of the visiting panel into the affairs.